Translator: CinderTL
Feng Qi froze when he saw the assassination mission targeting him.
Roughly every fifteen days, the Domain Weakling Alliance would send the Tiger Soul Research Institute a list of recently accepted and pending missions for his review. Any missions he deemed unsuitable for publication were vetoed in advance, preventing them from being listed.
At this point, Feng Qi had complete control over all missions accepted and executed by the Domain Weakling Alliance within Star City.
He had learned this strategy from Old Mist. By controlling the Domain Weakling Alliance's intelligence network, he could anticipate and counter any threats against him.
The appearance of an assassination mission targeting him left Feng Qi deeply puzzled.
He had been maintaining a low profile recently, refraining from publishing any groundbreaking cultivation studies results that would shock the outside world. Why, then, had he suddenly become an assassination target?
Which Domain Sleeper Faction's interests have I threatened?
His first thought was the super virtual game.
The game's promotion was currently in full swing. Perhaps its emergence had alerted the Domain Sleeper Factions, leading them to perceive him as a dangerous target.
But upon further reflection, he considered this possibility unlikely.
Currently, within the Dawn Organization, only those who knew his true identity were members he had vetted across multiple timelines, confirming their loyalty.
As for the other departments within the Dawn Organization, they were merely aware of the organization's existence but remained ignorant of his role behind the scenes.
The exposure of the super virtual game and the resulting vigilance were understandable, and he had long anticipated such a response. However, there was no logical reason for the Domain Sleeper Faction to directly target him.
If internal leaks were unlikely, where had the problem arisen?
This question plunged Feng Qi into deep thought.
He began reviewing his recent activities, searching for any potential missteps that might have exposed him.
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him: the Energy Research Institute.
He had recently visited the institute and, using his highest-level authority at the Tiger Soul Research Institute, signed an agreement to establish new energy transmission lines.
Could this be where things went wrong?
Yet, upon further reflection, Feng Qi dismissed this theory as implausible.
He could understand the Domain Sleeper Faction targeting the Tiger Soul Research Institute or even the Scarlet Research Institute. But why the Energy Research Institute?
The Energy Research Institute held relatively low authority within Star City and was subject to the oversight of the Star City Supreme Council, its development severely restricted.
Taking control of the Energy Research Institute would be a thankless and arduous task.
He couldn't imagine any Domain Force being foolish enough to attempt it, as there would be no benefits whatsoever.
Moreover, the Energy Research Institute's monthly resource consumption required detailed reporting, making it nearly impossible to siphon off resources like Tiger Soul or Scarlet, who enjoyed complete autonomy over their resource allocation.
To be safe, he immediately stood up and sat down in front of the screen.
After activating the screen, he opened the Authority Database.
He entered Yin Ling's name and began filtering by gender and time.
Moments later, detailed information about Yin Ling appeared on the screen.
Upon careful review, Feng Qi found Yin Ling's profile to be perfectly normal, with no anomalies.
The records showed that Yin Ling was born in Star City's West District. Her parents were both senior administrators at the Energy Research Institute. She attended the Spirit Material Academy in Old Day City, graduating with honors before returning to Star City to join the Energy Research Institute as an intern.
During her tenure, Yin Ling demonstrated exceptional capabilities in all areas, steadily climbing the ranks.
Two years ago, after the previous dean retired, the Star City Supreme Council voted to appoint Yin Ling as the new dean of the Energy Research Institute.
With Yin Ling's clearance level, she couldn't possibly alter the information within Star City's Authority Database.
This strongly suggested the reliability of the data.
Moreover, Yin Ling was born in Star City, not some newcomer who suddenly appeared, significantly reducing the likelihood of her being a domain creature.
Yet Feng Qi couldn't completely rule out the possibility.
After all, the Domain Forces lurking within human society had countless methods at their disposal. Schemes like "swapping the prince" were commonplace.
Mind control, soul parasitism, behind-the-scenes manipulation... Across countless timelines, he had witnessed every conceivable form of infiltration.
Based solely on the Authority Database's contents, it was impossible to definitively declare the information entirely trustworthy.
But one thing was certain: controlling the Energy Research Institute offered minimal advantages.
Yin Ling's growth trajectory was crystal clear. If she were a domain creature, she would have arrived before Old Mist and the Nightshadow Clan even emerged.
Why would she choose the Energy Research Institute—one of Star City's lowest-clearance facilities—instead of the higher-clearance institutes?
Wasn't controlling Tiger Soul or the Scarlet Research Institute far more appealing?
He considered another possibility:
This Domain Force might be relatively weak, believing they couldn't control Tiger Soul or the Scarlet Research Institute. As a compromise, they settled for the Energy Research Institute, which had the lowest level of authority.
Although all resource usage at the Energy Research Institute had to be reported, they could still siphon off a small portion to subsidize their clan's needs.
This theory seemed plausible, but it contained a logical flaw.
A defining characteristic of Weak Domain Races was their resource scarcity and overall weak combat capabilities.
Why would they waste resources trying to kill him? It was a futile and costly endeavor.
The recently planned energy line construction had no connection to the Energy Research Institute's interests. He was merely the signatory; even if he died, the project would proceed as planned.
After listing all possible scenarios, Feng Qi ruled out the Energy Research Institute as the culprit.
So, where did the problem lie?
After a moment's contemplation, Feng Qi decided to launch a fishing operation.
First, he would bait the hook, then lure the snake out of its hole.
With this in mind, he pulled out his encrypted phone and dialed a number.
After a brief wait, the call connected. A raspy voice came from the other end:
"Who is this?"
"It's me!"
Hearing the familiar voice, the tone on the other end immediately warmed:
"Lord Narrator, what can I do for you? Have you reviewed the latest mission list? Do you need to veto any missions in advance?"
Faced with the barrage of questions, Feng Qi replied indifferently:
"There's a mission I need to ask you about."
"Please proceed."
"I reviewed this batch of missions and found one to assassinate Feng Qi, a teacher at Star City Academy. I want to know who posted this mission."
After a brief silence, the voice responded:
"Lord Narrator, the mission was posted via an encrypted phone. When the deposit was collected, the client was completely covered up, making it impossible to discern their appearance or build."
Feng Qi wasn't surprised by this answer.
The Domain Sleeper Faction prioritized maintaining anonymity above all else. Their refusal to reveal any information was entirely understandable.
"Lord Narrator, are you planning to cancel this mission?"
"No, don't cancel it. Publish the mission immediately, but have you accept it directly under your name. Don't give other factions a chance to take it."
"Have me accept the mission?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded surprised.
"Lord Narrator, do you mean you want me to assassinate Feng Qi, a teacher at Star City Academy?"
Feng Qi: ...
"Of course not. I want you to accept the mission, wait two days, then declare it completed. Then, go collect the subsequent reward. I'll accompany you then."
Hearing this, the Weakling Clan Alliance administrator on the other end clearly understood Feng Qi's plan.
"Lord Narrator, are you trying to lure him out?"
"Exactly."
"Very well, I'll arrange it for you immediately."
(End of the Chapter)
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